The Arizona sentinel., 1887-10-22
THE NAN-GIN-TSIN.
Description of the Largest Opium Don
 in the Chinese Empire.


 in the Chinese Empire.
 The Nan-gin-tsin is the greatest opium den in China It Is situated in the French concession in Shanghai, within stone's throw of the wall of the native city, within which no opiufn shops are supposed to exist The throngs visiting it represent all sta- tions of life, from the coolie to the wealthy merchant or the small man. darin- It is with difficulty that one gets Inside through the crowds of people hanging round the door. Those Who have not the requisite number of copper cash to procure the baneful pipe watch with horrible &iStfulness each of the more afauent pass in with a nervous, hurried step, or totter out wearing that peculiar dazed expres- sion which comes after the smokers craving has been satisfied and his transient pleasure has passed away. One requires a strong stomach to stand the sickening fumes with which the air inside is thickened. The clouds of smoke, the dim light from the numerous colored lamps, the numbers of reclining forms with distorted faces bent over the small flames at which the pipes are lighted, cause the novice a sicEening sensation.
 But as soon as the eye becomes SC. customed to the scene it is noticed that the place is got up on an expensive scale. In the centre of the lower room hangs one of the finest of Chinese lamps. the ceiling Is of richly carved wood. while the painted walls are thickly inlaid with peculiarly marked marble, whiehgives the idea of unfin- ished landscape sketches. Numerous doors on all sides lead to the smokers experiments. In the outer portion of the building stands counter covered with little boxes of the drug ready for smoking. which dozen assistants arc kept busy handing out to the servants who wait upon the habitues of the place. The average daily receipts are said to be about f2OO. The smoking apartments are divided Into four classes. In the cheapest are coolies. who pay about fourpence for their smoke. In the dearest the smoke costs abont sevenpence. The drug supplied in each class is much the same both in quality and quantity; it is the difference in the pipes that regu- ates the price.
 The rooms also are furnished &C., cording to class. In the most expen. sive the lounge upon which the smoker reclines is of fine velvet, with pillows of the same material; the frames of each couch are inlaid with mother-of- pearl and jade, and the whole air of these rooms is one of sen- suOUs luxury. There is also a num- ber of private reoms. In the poorer section will be seen many wearers of the tattered yellow and gray robes of Buddhist and Tavist priests Women form a fair proportion of the smokers. Inc common belief is that the opium sleep is attended by mild pleasura- Ele deliuum, with brief glances of EIysium; but this is the exception, not the rule. People smoke to satisfy the craving begotten of previous indul- gence. There is accommodation for one hundred and fifty smokers at time, and there is seldom vacancy very long. The streams of smokers goes on from early morning till midnight when the place closes; the clouds of smoke go up necessarily all day long. -North China Herald.